We stayed at the Linden center in Xizhou, Yunan this summer. We loved the amenities, the location and the staff. It's located in a small town that is less touristy and the local people are super nice and honest. The hotel was restored to show the traditional beauty of the Bai's construction style yet the rooms are at 5 star hotel level with the cleanness and comfort. The staff is helpful and nice, home-made breakfast is fresh. The rice paddy outside of the hotel is green and beautiful. It’s very quiet and relaxing. There is game room for Ping Pong and Pool, library with good collections, Yoga room to exercise, Tea room to Zen and meditate. My kids especially love the owner brain’s dog. You have to talk to Brain Linden about his amazing story that brought him to China and how he started this hotel. He opened a door for the world to see the real beauty and real people of China. We’re very impressed by his passion and effort.

The owners interest in the community and employing local staff. The history and preservation of the building.

EllenUnited States of America

rian and Jeannie were wonderful hosts. Zia Zia and Max did an excellent job arranging and giving tours and helping guests. My room was lovely. Excellent taste at the Linden Center in decor and objects. Much knowledge about the region and China. Excellent fresh food in the restaurant. Took wonderful cooking class at their new beautiful location Linden Commons in the center of Xizhou. And then a lovely dinner outside. That is well worth s visit also. Excellent market tour by Max. They are also opening other locations and they will certainly be well worth visiting.

AlexiUnited States of America

Excellent stay at the Linden center; the place breathes of the passion that the Linden family puts into preserving Chinese cultural heritage; a place to stay to visit the main attractions around Dali in a peaceful environment. A must!

PierreFrance

The staff was genuinely warm and welcoming. Everyone took care to introduce themselves and make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The room was very clean. All of the hotel activity suggestions were top notch.

AnonymousUnited States of America

The Linden Centre is a really beautiful place to stay in Xizhou. The building is of amazing Chinese architecture with the most awesome and peaceful terrace in the Dali region! Brian and Jeannie are perfect hosts. The price of the hotel includes a guided tour of the building and of the town (mainly the market). All the staff speak good English, which is quite uncommon in Yunnan. You can feel the Lindens good (cultural) influence even in town, where we found there was a good balance between tourism and local life. It was our most interesting experience in the region.

“The owners interest in the community and employing local staff. The history and preservation of the building.”

Ellen
United States of America

“rian and Jeannie were wonderful hosts. Zia Zia and Max did an excellent job arranging and giving tours and helping guests. My room was lovely. Excellent taste at the Linden Center in decor and...”

Alexi
United States of America

“Excellent stay at the Linden center; the place breathes of the passion that the Linden family puts into preserving Chinese cultural heritage; a place to stay to visit the main attractions around Dali...”

Pierre
France

“The staff was genuinely warm and welcoming. Everyone took care to introduce themselves and make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The room was very clean.”

United States of America

“The Linden Centre is a really beautiful place to stay in Xizhou. The building is of amazing Chinese architecture with the most awesome and peaceful terrace in the Dali region!”

“The hosts were fantastic, the accommodation one of the prettiest we've stayed in. Location is fab. Highly recommend the cooking lesson. Moon was a brilliant guide!”

James
United Kingdom

One of our top picks in Dali.The Linden Center is an award-winning boutique hotel offering the intrepid traveler an inspiring exploration into Southwest China. The property, renovated by the Lindens, is one of their attempts to preserve local Bai heritage and introduce curious travelers to a different side of China.The Linden Center has been consistently ranked as a top Dali hotel, and has gained international recognition for its commitment to cultural sustainability and heritage preservation. Free Wi-Fi access is available.

All rooms have an electric kettle. Featuring a shower, private bathroom also comes with a hairdryer and bathrobes. The facilities here are nationally protected heritage sites that have been professionally restored by the Linden team to their former dynastic elegance.

There is a designated smoking area for smokers. At The Linden Center you will find a terrace. You can work out in the fitness center and participate in an array of activities including billiards and table tennis. Other facilities offered at the property include a shared lounge, a tour desk and luggage storage. For business travelers, hotel provide free fax and photocopying. Besides, surcharged shuttle service can be reserved in advance. The property offers free parking. Chargeable yoga classes and photography service are provided.

There is a restaurant and café on site serving Chinese food with a selection of seasonal delicacies. Chefs can cater to special dietary needs and allergies.

Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 9.4 for a two-person trip.

We speak your language!

The Linden Centre has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Sept 26, 2014

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What guests loved the most:

“We stayed at the Linden center in Xizhou, Yunan this summer. We loved the amenities, the location and the staff. It's located in a small town that is less touristy and the local people are super nice and honest. The hotel was restored to show the traditional beauty of the Bai's construction style yet the rooms are at 5 star hotel level with the cleanness and comfort. The staff is helpful and nice, home-made breakfast is fresh. The rice paddy outside of the hotel is green and beautiful. It’s very quiet and relaxing. There is game room for Ping Pong and Pool, library with good collections, Yoga room to exercise, Tea room to Zen and meditate. My kids especially love the owner brain’s dog. You have to talk to Brain Linden about his amazing story that brought him to China and how he started this hotel. He opened a door for the world to see the real beauty and real people of China. We’re very impressed by his passion and effort.”

“The owners interest in the community and employing local staff. The history and preservation of the building.”

EllenUnited States of America

“rian and Jeannie were wonderful hosts. Zia Zia and Max did an excellent job arranging and giving tours and helping guests. My room was lovely. Excellent taste at the Linden Center in decor and objects. Much knowledge about the region and China. Excellent fresh food in the restaurant. Took wonderful cooking class at their new beautiful location Linden Commons in the center of Xizhou. And then a lovely dinner outside. That is well worth s visit also. Excellent market tour by Max. They are also opening other locations and they will certainly be well worth visiting.”

AlexiUnited States of America

“Excellent stay at the Linden center; the place breathes of the passion that the Linden family puts into preserving Chinese cultural heritage; a place to stay to visit the main attractions around Dali in a peaceful environment. A must!”

PierreFrance

“The staff was genuinely warm and welcoming. Everyone took care to introduce themselves and make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The room was very clean. All of the hotel activity suggestions were top notch. ”

AnonymousUnited States of America

“The Linden Centre is a really beautiful place to stay in Xizhou. The building is of amazing Chinese architecture with the most awesome and peaceful terrace in the Dali region! Brian and Jeannie are perfect hosts. The price of the hotel includes a guided tour of the building and of the town (mainly the market). All the staff speak good English, which is quite uncommon in Yunnan. You can feel the Lindens good (cultural) influence even in town, where we found there was a good balance between tourism and local life. It was our most interesting experience in the region.”

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Newest Reviews for The Linden Centre

“Outstanding boutique hotel in beautiful town of Xihjou, Yunnan (just outside of Dali).”

• Leisure trip

• Couple

• Stayed 3 nights

Everything was beyond expectations.

We loved everything about our 3 night / 4 day stay at the Linden Center, owned and managed by Americans Brian and Jennee Lindon who share a 30 year passion for cross-cultural exchange between the people of China and the West. The hotel was beautifully restored and was filled with Chinese art, flowers, and trees. The Center is situated in a rice paddy that was golden in color and framed by distant green mountains. My husband and I shared a spacious bedroom with hot shower and delicious choice of Western or Chinese breakfast each morning. The staff couldn't have been friendlier or more accommodating! We enjoyed a fantastic 5 hour local cooking class with Caroline, Maison, and Molly; spent an informative morning tour of Xihjou with May which included the local food markets; visited a nearby town to take a class on traditional Bai tie-dying; rode bikes to the nearby beautiful lake, and enjoyed the local contemporary music scene of Dali Old Town which is only 12 miles away. Do not miss this unique opportunity to learn more about the local Chinese culture through the eyes of the amazing Lindens and their loving staff.

Stayed in September 2019

Reviewed: August 31, 2019

Xia

United States of America

10

“It's a great experince and we'd love to come back.”

• Leisure trip

• Family with young children

• Stayed 4 nights

We stayed at the Linden center in Xizhou, Yunan this summer. We loved the amenities, the location and the staff. It's located in a small town that is less touristy and the local people are super nice and honest. The hotel was restored to show the traditional beauty of the Bai's construction style yet the rooms are at 5 star hotel level with the cleanness and comfort. The staff is helpful and nice, home-made breakfast is fresh. The rice paddy outside of the hotel is green and beautiful. It’s very quiet and relaxing. There is game room for Ping Pong and Pool, library with good collections, Yoga room to exercise, Tea room to Zen and meditate. My kids especially love the owner brain’s dog. You have to talk to Brain Linden about his amazing story that brought him to China and how he started this hotel. He opened a door for the world to see the real beauty and real people of China. We’re very impressed by his passion and effort.

Stayed in August 2019

Reviewed: August 26, 2019

Teresa

Portugal

3 helpful votes

9.6

“Thank you, Linden(s)!”

• Leisure trip

• Couple

• Stayed 1 night

The Linden Centre is a really beautiful place to stay in Xizhou. The building is of amazing Chinese architecture with the most awesome and peaceful terrace in the Dali region! Brian and Jeannie are perfect hosts. The price of the hotel includes a guided tour of the building and of the town (mainly the market). All the staff speak good English, which is quite uncommon in Yunnan. You can feel the Lindens good (cultural) influence even in town, where we found there was a good balance between tourism and local life. It was our most interesting experience in the region.

Stayed in July 2019

Reviewed: August 16, 2019

Qing

United States of America

4 helpful votes

9.2

“Rare and Gorgeous”

• Leisure trip

• Family with young children

• Stayed 2 nights

- The breakfast is simple fare, which is well and fine, but the mixian is downright not good, which I'm sorry but stabs my heart because besides mountain and lake all a girl wants in Yunnan is a bowl of good mixian. Maybe go into town?
- The Chinese tour I took about the history of the hotel itself (it was originally the house of an illustrious trader family) was great, but the Chinese tour I took going into the ancient town felt a little superficial. The route was good, but the stories and myths and history could go a lot deeper. There's a library in hotel which is awesome, but a tourist just wants to be spoon fed with lively information sometimes.

Let's face it, Dali has gotten a lot more commercialized over the years. Our taxi driver says it's the new Hainan now that they've restricted real estate there, and property's been skyrocketing, which doesn't bode well for "character" and the soul search crowd. So much so that the hippies and hipsters have been saying Guizhou is the new spot, or you're better off picking off a random village in Yunnan instead of venturing out here. I got the bug from visiting Dali about ten years ago though, and just had to go again. If you do come, or just have to check off CangShanErHai (which lets face it, is something you have to check off), Linden Centre is not a bad place to lay low and stare at Cang Shan, which looms like some mythical dragon's womb RIGHT IN front of you. I mean, it's absolutely mythical.
To be precise, Linden Centre is in Xizhou, a village town about 40 minutes from Dali on the east side of Er Hai. Tour groups come, but only mid-day as a day trip, so the place is quiet morning and night. A lot of people are into the lake view, but the view of Cang Shan from this place is worth ten thousand Er Hai views from awkward angles mixed with crunchy cityscapes. If you're interested in the lake, borrow a bike from the centre and take a ride about 15 minutes away, and you'll be in a quiet spot of the lake that is also mythical, that you will not find in Dali. My main regret is not take the bike further around the lake, or ride the bike more in general across the green village.
Besides mountain and lake, the welcoming staff, the sense of history and spirit of the place, is so precious and rare it's enough to move you to tears and break into peacock dance. There's no need to schedule any sightseeing (the town is eh, ok, too much of a facade for tourists so you might need a lot more time to really get to the more interesting aspects) besides take a drink, listen to stories about the place, watch clouds move.

I love their Baba making class, but it didn't have a recipe print out. It would have been nice to know how to make that dough, water to flour ratio, and contents of their salt flavor.

I have spent a month traveling in China, this hotel understands international standards on service. Most places of this price range are pretty sloppy and inconsistent with their staff training.

Stayed in April 2019

Reviewed: April 21, 2019

Patrick

Spain

5 helpful votes

9.6

Exceptional

• Leisure trip

• Solo traveler

• Stayed 2 nights

• Submitted from a mobile device

Besides a few Chinese tourists, most guests are Westerners and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you are looking for a purely Chinese experience, you might want to look elsewhere.

A fantastic boutique hotel/community centre/heritage project, in a lovely Bai town, 18km from Dali. Bike tours, cultural walks and cooking classes are all on offer. Or you can just relax on the sun deck and watch Yunnan village life go by. The food is fantastic and the staff very attentive. It was a lovely place. I would go back.

Stayed in April 2019

Reviewed: April 17, 2019

Florence

France

5 helpful votes

10

“A travel to the past near Dali”

• Leisure trip

• Group

• Stayed 2 nights

• Submitted from a mobile device

Everything was perfect!

Wonderful stay in a beautiful traditional old house in a charming and authentic village. Bedrooms were very comfortable with a lot of small and delicate details. Breakfast was delicious. Drinking a cocktail on the terrace at sunset was one of the best moment of our trip!

Stayed in April 2019

Reviewed: March 28, 2019

Jonathan

United States of America

10

“Excellent stay”

• Leisure trip

• Couple

• Stayed 2 nights

• Submitted from a mobile device

N/A

Excellent cultural experience with ethnically diverse people in China. The Linden center combines comfort with culture. The owners have renovated the building and kept the original architecture.

It’s a very intimate and old building, so the soundproofing is not up to modern standards.

The staff was genuinely warm and welcoming. Everyone took care to introduce themselves and make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The room was very clean. All of the hotel activity suggestions were top notch.

Stayed in November 2018

Reviewed: November 4, 2018

Dalila

Luxembourg

2 helpful votes

9.6

Exceptional

• Leisure trip

• Couple

• Stayed 3 nights

• Submitted from a mobile device

We found that the dishes for dinner at the restaurant could be improved (for example by using more spices and sauce).

We loved our stay at the linden Center! The venue is awesome with many places to chill and relax (terrace, garden,...). The staff was lovely and kind without being too pushy.
Excellent breakfast!
A special thanks to Caroline and Michael, our cooking class and biking tour guide which taught us so much about Yunnan and in particular Bai culture.